Notes from sermon heard on Sunday 3 July 2016
Mark 5 verses 21 - 24, 35 - 43
In this passage Jesus lifts the lid on someone and begins to show us some things that are happening in their family. In this account Jairus encouraged and inspired me as we went into our Holiday Bible Club week. Often the devil will tell us `you are wasting your time, there is no interest in the children`s work, meetings are a thing of the past.` When this man came out of the house to where Jairus was with the worse news possible "your daughter is dead" imagine what Jairus felt at that moment.
It is a crisis in this family - verse 22. This man Jairus was a ruler of the synagogue. He would open up the word of God, pray and expound the word of God on a Sabbath day. He wasn`t necessarily a man of God. He might have had no time for God at all. it is possible to come to the house of God, to read your Bible, to pray and to try and do good yet not be saved, to not know Christ as Saviour and Lord. In verse 23 we see Jairus had a daughter of 12 years of age. She lay at the point of death. She was worse than being sick in that state. She had no hope. This man realised that there was nothing he could do for her whatsoever. He employed the best of doctors there was but there was nothing he could do for this child. She was lying at the point of death. There was no help for her whatsoever. The reason we had a week of bible meetings for children was not just merely to fill a week in the calendar to show ourselves busy. It was to see these souls gathered in under the word of God that they might be saved. We realised that there is a crisis in our society today, in families all around us. What is this crisis? Every child born into the world has been born in sin, shapen in iniquity, born into a relationship that is broken. The only remedy is Jesus Christ taking your place on the cross to reconcile us to God again. The problem is you are a sinner today. That is the language of the bible before me. Also tells me of the wages of sin - death, separation from God for all eternity. There is an awful myth today. The myth that all and sundry are going to a wonderful place called heaven and there is no such a place as hell. Jesus God`s son taught more about hell than he did about heaven. As we looked at the children`s faces this week we realised that one day they will die and if not reached with God`s love they will die for all eternity. Every child before us is at the point of death and separation from God. In 2 Kings 4 a woman saw a crisis in her family. She took it to the God of heaven. She had 2 sons, her husband was dead and there was a debt to be paid. She had to sell her sons to pay that debt.
This man had Christ in his focus - verse 22. This man went for Jesus. He besought him greatly. Perhaps he had heard so much about what Jesus was doing. He knew he had a religion but not a personal relationship with Christ. He knew what he needed, what his family needed, what his daughter needed. The need of your home and life is Jesus Christ. Jairus would be the instrument to bring Christ into his home. Are we prepared to take Christ into our home today? Jairus knew that once Jesus was there he would touch his daughter and she would be raised to health and strength again. What my children need most in life is Christ. Sadly this message has been forgotten. Christ and salvation comes far down the line of responsibilities. Social lives are more important. The best your child can have is Christ. That is what they need more than anything else. We want them to have the best in clothes, to have the best in technology, to be well educated, to have the best holidays and recreation. No harm in that whatsoever but the best thing you can do is trust Christ. Bring him into your home that your children will see Christ in you. Sadly childhood soon passes, teenage years come, young adult relationships are formed. If not Christ focused the devil brings wrong company, pleasure and fulfilment becomes the gods of our lives. In Acts 16 a man asked Paul "what must I do to be saved?" Paul told him "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." A jailer standing in the dark prison house was told "if you are prepared to take him as Saviour he will save you." That man was happy to take Christ as his Saviour and Lord. He became Christ focused and he asked them to come into his home and tell them there all about Christ. He was an instrument. Inn Acts 11 another religious man who was not saved was told "send for Peter" by an angel. Why? "He will tell you words whereby you might be saved." When Cornelius sent for Peter he got all his friends and family into his home and asked Peter to tell them the wonderful news. Are you Christ focused today? Is there something blocking out that focus today? You and I are instructed in Deuteronomy 6 to teach our children every day, every moment, to challenge them of the things of God. They are the most important things they will ever learn.
There is a challenge to his faith. Jairus sees his daughter lying sick and thinks there is only one who could help. He sets off to find Jesus and when he does find him he asks him to come. He had a heart full of faith, he wanted to be the instrument to bring Jesus into his home, to see his daughter healed and restored. He found the first challenge to his faith. Another woman got in his way. There will be times of setbacks in our lives. Jesus stops with this woman. Jairus wanted him to come immediately. There is maybe even a set back in your home today. Maybe you have been preparing for years for your family. Nothing seems to be happening. It is a challenge to your faith. Hold on. Do not be idle now. This man received the most awful news that his daughter is dead. Jesus tells him "do not be afraid only believe." The devil is quick at showing us there is no hope. He tells us "you have been praying for the past 20 years and they are no nearer to Christ than ever, nothing is happening." A lie by the devil himself - "she is dead, do not trouble the master any more." The devil even tells us "you will never get that person into a gospel meeting so why bother." The Lord tells you "do not be afraid only believe". Jesus is still transforming lives in 2016, saving souls. He wants to save you today that you might take the gospel to those children he has given to you as a gift. Don`t leave it until they are 18 or 19. If you get saved he will save your family too. The best gift you can give your child is for you to trust Christ as Saviour. It will be far better than leaving them money or property. To see them saved and on their way to heaven and home. What an inheritance!
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